Valentine's Week

This week was nice. It rained a bit so it softened the snow then it was sunny so basically all the snow has melted there is a slight dilemma..Ukraine doesn't really have drains so there is just water and mud everywhere haha they used sand and dirt to help make the snow not so slippery so that made more mud haha We met a new investigator Mohammad who is going to school here he is Muslim and was pretty cool, he seemed really interested so hopefully he wants to meet again this week. Some good news we put John on date, he is a brotha and seems pretty cool! his date is set for March 8, but that is womens day so hopefully we can move it up a week! His friend Paul was there and he seems really cool, he has a Christian background and really liked the first lesson. He even said the closing prayer! ha so that was pretty cool. we have high hopes for paul. We had youth night this week, like we usually do but the thing is we dont really have youth so I guess the old people who think they are the youth came, but it was good because they are all way funny. We played the game where you have to say something to your neighbor without showing your teeth and I started laughing way hard and it was just funny, sister Lubov was there and she is too funny. 

me and sister Lubov (which means love in Russian by the way) good times! 

Yesterday we gave the sacrament to Olea and Nadia and they are doing better, but their parents havent changed their minds, it is good to practice my russian with them they are patient and know missionaries struggle with the language at the beginning haha  Then we met the Garbankos, another cool family in the branch, this is the family that the missionary baptized the dad then married his daughter ha, then they took us over to their other daughters house who still lives here and gave her and here daughter the sacrament because she is on bed-rest because she is pregnant. her daughter is so cute and funny she reminds me of all of my nieces and nephews. We also gave her a blessing and that was pretty cool too. I didnt do it but her dad and Elder Newey did and I just stood in on it, so it was a neat experience. We also helped sister Lubov this week haul a washing machine across town ha we picked it up from a member and less active, the daughter is less active because she got sick like 20 years ago and she went to the hospital and they gave her a buunch of shots, then her brain got messed up, anyway ha we got the washer and thankfully it wasnt too big and we but it on the tolley bus which was packed because people were coming home from work haha and sister Lubov was trying to play the game with us that we played at youth night hahaha but then we went to the other end of the bus so then she stopped haha she is awesome. Every time I show my picture book everyone comments on our fam and how big and good looking we are haha so thanks mom and dad! I am glad to be in the family that I am in. The other night we also made some chicken noodle soup which was very tasty so yes I am cooking and we aren't starving ha 

I hope your Valentines day was nice, mine was full of missionary work haha 

hope you have a good week! love you! 

Love Elder David Witt 

4 months down

This week was kinda crazy, but it was still good. I went to east Lugansk last sunday night and stayed with Elder O'leary while Newey and Riley went to Donestsk and Harkov. We basically packed all week and cleaned east apt and center so I guess that was a good time ha then transfers were Thursday and the bus driver, it was a nice bus, it was more like an astro van, hit a snowbank while he was pulling out so his license plate fell off right before we even started ha so we got pulled over 3 times by the police and it is weird how they do it here, they just stand on the side of the road and point to you if you have to pull over ha and lets just say the police here make some extra money from pulling people over haha 

oh yes on one of the nights the sisters got locked out of their apartment (what a sister thing to do, ha jk I hope no sister missionaries judge me for this...mom haha jk) but thankfully we had just cleaned center apartment and they spent the night there, so it was a little weird, but hey you gotta do what you have to do. So I am with Elder Newey and there are two new Elders Haddad and Lafontaine, Elder Haddad is from Arizona then the rest of us are from good old Utah. And then we still have the sisters in the west Sister Tanner, from virginia and Reese from Utah as well.  Everyone in our district is way funny and cool. I came back to Lugansk with Hadded so we could "run both areas" while Newey stayed in Donetsk for MLC. but I still dont know Lugansk too well so we walked around and I showed him a few places and such.

Our English and Youth Night were both better this week they were fun, Olea and Nadia actually wanted to be incharge of Youth night since it was Olea's birthday and so we made like these fruit and yogurt things which were good and had cake, so it was a good time. It has been getting warmer here so with the warm and the rain, it has been raining a bit, the snow is melting away and I am excited cause I cant wait for summer! ha the trees will be green it will be warm the sun will be out and it should be good! ha But I am excited for this transfer it should be a good one. It doesnt feel like I have been on my mission since October, I guess it has gone faster than I thought it has. Thanks for the letters, love you all and have a good week! 

Love,
Elder David Witt

1st Transfer

my distict and zone here in Lugansk 

starting from the left Elder Newey, Elder O' Leary, Sister Tanner, Sister Reese, me and Elder Riley

This week was nice it went by way fast. I am not sure why is went by so fast but it did ha . We had some lessons with people we had tracted into, but when we got to their houses they didnt answer. We went to the same area where we almost got attacked by the dogs haha we saw them again, on the street this time, and they got scared of us this time and ran away. then it has been a bit chilly here so people didnt really come to youth night, English or church yesterday. but that is alright there is always this week ha. On Wednesday we had specialized training and that means President Lochhead and his wife came and talked to our district and taught us and such.We talked about what we can control and what we cant control about people becoming converted. President shared a cool story and in the story, he was a lawyer by the way, he said he could write disertations for and against the church and he said that both sides would be pretty strong and there are no knock out punches that convince someone that what we have is true. It truly comes down to how we feel in our heart and how it makes us feel and the actions that we do because of the gospel how they make us feel. It is just cool that you have to really get to know someone and when you share what is personal to you and how it has helped your life, if they open their heart for you and let the Spirit testify of truth it will, which comes back to the point the Spirit is the teacher more than we are. which is pretty cool. 

this is my comp and a huge thing of herbal tea we made, it tasted pretty.. weird haha

This week we got transfer calls and we both got one, and so did Elder O' leary, they told me to pack my bags but I wouldn't be leaving Lugansk, which means I will be moving to East Lugansk which means I will be companions with Elder Newey. I am excited about that since he is pretty cool, we should get a lot done and have a good time doin it! While we were tracting on Saturday we got a call and they said Elder Riley needed to go to Harkov today (Monday) so he would need to have all of his stuff ready by then so he could leave then be ready to go straight to transfer meeting on Thursday. 

It isnt every day you see an suv limo especially in Ukraine, especially in Lugansk. more likely than not..mafia haha  

I went on a split with Elder Newey and we had a lesson with a guy who got a new phone and wasnt going to try to find our number but that day we called him and then set up a meeting. This is the same guy that I got to be on the lesson a while ago where he had a dream he needed to get baptized but his wife is against the church, which she still is, but..  the meeting was good he said he has a testimony of the book of mormon and that this is the true church and becasue we called him it resparked his hope and faith. so that is really  cool Ialso felt inspired to invite a member on that lesson, Sister Lubov, she is so funny and helped him understand/ remind him how important this gospel is and how much it will bless his life. She reminds me of Nadine Terry a bit hahaha but she is way cool and it was a good lesson!

This is of a statue, not sure who maybe Lennin..? haha but it looks cool!

Yesterday we gave the sacrament to Olea and Nadia, (the best members who's parents are against the church and dont want them to come) we sang some hymns with them and read some scriptures and talked, I tried to understand but they are so cool and hope their parents let them start comingto church again!

I also forgot to tell you that I got the package from the Whitneys and the letter from our Bishopric and so if you wouldnt mind tell them thanks!

and sometimes I dont answer all the questions in the email cause I forget or something, so if you want me to answer something just keep asking until I do ha
thanks! love you and have a good week! 

love you! 

love,

-Elder David Witt